This weekend, Google Contacts sync somehow managed to delete most of my contacts, so I decided that I might as well try my hand at upgrading my phone to the leaked Android 2.1 OS. (Yes, I backed up everything else. No, I did not get manage to get my contacts back automatically. Yes, I’ll be switching back to the OTA update once it’s available.) While everything seems to be working pretty smoothly now, as someone who’s not a hardcore Android developer, I thought that the original instructions could use a bit more detail (it took a few tries before I got it working), so here’s my version (which may only be relevant for anywhere from a day to a week, as Verizon’s supposed to officially roll out 2.1 anytime now an indefinite period of time, as Verizon keeps pushing back the official update):

1. Download the patched 2.1 ROM
2. Make sure the zip file is: intact (not unzipped), named PB00IMG.zip exactly, and in the SD card root (mine originally went into the SD card’s downloads folder, but I was able to move it, thanks to the ASTRO File Manager app I had)
3. Turn off your phone (again: make sure you have things backed up. You can do this in a variety of ways; I used the free version of MyBackup, since the Pro version isn’t yet available in the newer Apps Market)
4. Press and hold the Power and Call buttons down at the same time
5. A menu will appear on your screen with the default option of FLASHBOOT. You should “scroll” (with the Volumn Down button) to select HBOOT instead. If you see messages about “No image!” (this caused me a bit of panic initially), but still have a blue status bar loading upwards on the right of the screen, you’re fine.
6. The phone will reboot a few times. Just press the trackball to keep selecting HBOOT initially and let it finish.

I have to say that my phone feels a lot faster and smoother after the upgrade, and I’m even happier with the Eris now. Plus, the boyfriend and I have been having way too much fun testing out Google Goggles on things all around the apartment.

Addendum: As usual with leaks, be warned that there are a number of (what I consider to be small) bugs that come with the upgrade. For a list of reported problems (and fixes), check out the thread via Android Forums.